


In Which the Nations Speak Different Languages

by jester_complex



Series: ATLA but i got my little monster hands on it [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cultural Differences, Ember Island (Avatar), Episode: s03e21 Sozin's Comet Part 4 Avatar Aang, Explicit Language, Gen, Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Suicide, Language Barrier, M/M, Minor Character Death, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Suki & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Western Air Temple, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, not the gaang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25871431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jester_complex/pseuds/jester_complex
Summary: And Aang is the only other one who speaks Firetounge besides Zuko.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Chit Sang & Zuko, Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Series: ATLA but i got my little monster hands on it [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015110
Comments: 42
Kudos: 1001





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It makes sense that the nations dont speak just one language. So here ya go.

Aang liked Zuko, really, he did! He was a great bender, he made great tea, he broke Hakoda, Suki and Chit Sang out of the Boiling Rock, he was a great friend. But...

He would not stop swearing!

Aang didn't really swear often, he was too calm for that. Toph swore, but they weren't nearly as creative as Zuko's swears. And Aang wasn't 'against' swearing, per se. But it was very frustrating that he was the only one who could understand him.

Oh, did he mention that he was the only one who could understand him? Zuko swore in Firetounge, the language spoken throughout most of the Fire Nation. And it was getting harder to pretend he couldn't understand him.

He thought his cover was blown a while ago when Zuko had stubbed his toe and yelled 'dog-fucker' at it. Aang had almost started laughing but he turned it into a cough before he could notice.

Aang had figured out that Zuko could also understand Toph, as he spent a little over three years around the Earth Kingdom, so he picked up Earthtone, the language Toph spoke.

And then he started swearing in Earthtone. It was mostly on accident, and he apologized when he realized Aang was able to understand. Aang just brushed him off, saying he was allowed to say what he wanted.

And then Suki showed up. And, to be fair, Suki was great! She made Sokka happy, she was a great fighter, she was funny, and she was nice to Zuko. But guess what, she swears almost as bad as Zuko.

And then Suki and Toph asked Zuko to teach them Fire Nation swears. They spoke in Earthtone when they were having their curse word lessons, so Katara couldn't yell at them

"How do you say 'slut' in Firetounge?" Suki asked in Earthtone. Aang sighed.

"Oh! Well, there's 'Fushidarana on'na' which is typically insulting, but there is also 'Baishunpu' which can be insulting but not always." Zuko glanced at Aang as he spoke.

"Zuko, I already know all the bad words, you know." Aang said in Earthtone.

"What?! How?" Zuko spluttered.

"Some of my older friends were very excited for another child to teach bad words to."

"It's not very proper to swear so openly in front of children. Especially since you were younger then,"

"OK, Mr. Fakkingufaiyāfakkā," Aang teased, sipping his tea.

Zuko spluttered as his face flushed.

"When did you hear me say that?"

"You mumbled it when Katara spilled her tea on you on 'accident'."

Zuko would have to be careful swearing around Aang.

+×+×+

Sokka invites Chit Sang to the fire that night. They broke him out of prison, they might as well be nice to him. He talked to Hakoda, albeit a little awkwardly, until Toph asked him questions.

"How did you end up in prison?"

Katara promptly elbowed her in the side.

"How bad do you think they'd freak out if I told them I killed my wife?" Chit Sang asked Zuko in Firetounge. Zuko blinked at him. This was the Water Tribe family's first time hearing Firetounge in a non-hostile situation.

"You killed your wife?" Zuko asked nervously.

"No, but what would they do if I told them that?"

"They'd all get really nervous and then the waterbender would try to kill you. The earthbender would ask if she deserved it and the Avatar would start crying."

Aang huffed quietly. 

"Well in that case," He turned to the group, switching to Earthtone. "Tax evasion."

×+×+×

Aang liked to watch Zuko and Sokka spar. They were both really good swordsmen, and he liked seeing their fighting styles slowly become similar.

He is sitting with Toph and Suki, drinking tea and watching. They'd been sparring all afternoon.

Sokka somehow rolls with his sword without hurting himself and swipes Zuko's ankles out from under him with his free hand on his way up. Zuko lands flat on his back.

He doesn't get up right away. For a moment, he just lays there, trying to catch his breath, staring up at Sokka. Sokka quickly brushes off whatever moment they were having ("I'm the superior sword bender") and helps Zuko up.

They wrap their swords and begin to cool down. Zuko takes his dao and quickly begins to leave the courtyard. Aang thinks he's just embarrassed until he passes him.

"Agni, please let him be into guys." Zuko sighs in Firetounge. 

Aang blinks, sips his tea, and minds his business. 

+×+×+

Avatar Aang has defeated Phoenix King Ozai. Aang is pretty proud of himself for preserving the beliefs of the Air Nomads as sacred. 

He is back at Caldera and Toph is dragging Ozai in a block of earth behind her. Zuko is leaning on Katara heavily staring at his father. His father is not facing him, so Zuko doesn't even know he is still alive.

"You did it?" Katara asks. She sounds exhausted.

"I'm not dead." Ozai says. He sounds strained. Toph may be lightly suffocating him. 

"I took his bending away." Aang says. "He'll never bend again."

Zuko straightens and slowly makes his way in front of his father. Everyone watches, not daring to interrupt him. Zuko just looks at him for a moment.

"Azula failed me." He states in Firetounge, scowling at Zuko 

"You failed Azula." Zuko says coldly.

"And you have doomed our nation."

"That's the thing." Zuko says, glaring down at his father." You will die alone and powerless in a cell while I'm healing our nation. Children will learn about the failure that is Firelord Ozai and mock your name. Agni never chose you. You forced yourself to the throne. Now you have been forced off."

Everyone that doesn't know Firetounge just stares uncomprehending, while Aang glows with pride silently.

×+×+×


	2. Fatherlord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so uh. I got bored and am currently taking a break (procrastinating) from writing an essay so have this trash heap of a part 2 :)

Years later, Ozai sits in his cell, alone. Iroh stopped visiting him after he threatened to find a way to kill him if he kept coming. Azula visited once with Zuko, and left quickly and never came back. He stares at the guard that brings him his food. They scoff at him and drop it on the ground in front of the bars before turning and leaving.

Ozai makes the decision in that second, listening to their footsteps fade away. He shoves the tray out of his reach. He does it with everything they bring him now. No matter what.

He's dead within a week.

They ask the Firelord what he wants to do with his body. He consults the blood family he has left. Azula and Iroh agree on giving him a commoners cremation.

They take his body, dress him in civilian clothes, and lay him on a pile of sacred herbs and wood. Zuko and Azula's friends are there watching and supporting them.

Iroh goes forward to light the fire to return his brother to Agni. It won't catch fire. After a couple of minutes of trying and failing to burn his brother, he lets Azula try. It won't catch fire, same with Zuko, same with Aang, same with Sokka's torch.

A storm had been brewing over the palace this whole time, and as Sokka starts coming up with a hypothesis, thunderclaps overhead loudly. They all look to the sky as it begins to pour. They wait a moment before starting to head in. At that moment, a bolt of lightning cut through the sky and struck the Pheonix King.

They all stare in silence as the biggest cremation fire in the history of the Fire Nation rages in front of them.

It takes seven minutes for the fire to die down. Ozai's body is left with his hair singed and melted to his scalp. The Royal family's jaws hang open.

"Agni rejected him." Aang states in Firetounge.

The living Royal family turns to him. Iroh, solemn. Azula, amused. Zuko, mortified.

"How long have you known Firetounge?" Zuko asked shakily.

"One-hunderd-nine years, give or take."

Azula pats Zuko on the shoulder, laughing. Zuko groaned. Iroh ushered the kids back inside for some tea and Pai Sho.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCK OZAI! They chucked him into some random volcano and referred to him as little bitch and only little bitch from that point forward.
> 
> So the reason i had his hair burnt is because it is implied hair represents like honor or something...? And Agni was just like ‘give that shit back’ and took his honor. 
> 
> Go read my other stuff bye i love you!

**Author's Note:**

> Ozai's a bitch! 
> 
> I wrote a part where ozai dies like years later but i scrapped it cause i simply did not vibe with it. If you'd like to see it, let me know!
> 
> Also if you wanted to read my other stories that'd be kinda cool i guess.


End file.
